New Food Pantry opening in time for Thanksgiving

BREWER, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Come this Thanksgiving, there will be fewer hungry families in the town of Brewer and Eddington. When the Brewer Christian Food Cupboard closed last August, it left the families they had been serving for decades searching for options. But now, there's an answer.

A non-profit organization is bringing a new food pantry to downtown Brewer.

"We immediately recognized that that was a need just as the city of Brewer did. They were one of the first people we approached when we agreed to take on this progect and they've been fantastic to work with. They knew the need was there,we knew the need was there," said Rich Romero, Research Developer of of non-profit organization OHI.

Opportunity Housing Inc., or OHI, is venturing into food distribution for the first time, opening the Brewer Area Food Pantry. Unforseen issues caused the opening to be delayed past the anticipated date of November first but thanks to a collaborative help from the community the food pantry will be able help familes in the area before Thanksgiving.

"That was our target all along we hope it means a lot to the families. Hopefully they'll take advantage of that. We've had 50 turkeys donated by Manna Ministries. We wanted to get the food into those peoples hands that need it so we're themeing what we give out on monday around the thanksgiving holiday," said Romero.

Next Monday,from 10 A.M. to noon, qualifying families will be able to stop by the pantry to pick up one of 50 Thanksgiving dinners. The USDA says that about 15 percent of Maine, or 200,000 house holds, are food insecure. That makesthe need for food donations that much more important, as well as the helping hands to distribute it.

"That'sas critical, if not more critical, than the donations of goods. We're going to live and die by the volunteers. We have a core of volunteers that wehave been putting together and we'll be getting with them this week to get that set up, but volunteers is a huge need and will continue to be a huge need," said Romero.